We're getting close to the Washington Commanders reporting to Ashburn, Virginia, for training camp, and it's time we got to know the roster a little better.

The Commanders are looking to improve upon their 2025 campaign and have made considerable effort to bolster the team, from drafting young defensive players to signing veterans with upside in free agency. Jayden Daniels is back and fully healthy for his third season, and the belief is that he can lead the new offense, which is now working with coordinator David Blough's scheme, back to being the potent unit it was in 2024.

Now, with the spotlight on the team, the Commanders must begin preparing for that bounceback performance. As always, that work begins in training camp, and Commanders.com will look at every position ahead of the first practice. The running backs are up next.

On the roster

• Rachaad White
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• Jeremy McNichols
• Robert Henry Jr.
• Kaytron Allen
• Jerome Ford

What to watch

• Can Bill be an RB1? The Commanders were high on Croskey-Merrit's skill set last season, and the running back outperformed his draft stock with 805 yards despite starting in just seven games. Now, players like Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez Jr. are gone, leaving a bit of a hole in Washington's backfield. The Commanders believe that Croskey-Merritt is the right player to fill it with his vision and burst, and there's reason to believe that he can handle the extra responsibility. He averaged nearly five yards per carry and led the league in success rate, meaning he gained at least 40% of the yards required for a first down on 53.7% of his 175 carries. Blough believes he can be a starting running back, which is a good vote of confidence, but Croskey-Merritt will still need to prove it in camp.

• Can Allen get the tough yards? There's nothing flashy about Allen's skill set, but that doesn't mean it lacks value. The Commanders drafted Allen because he got the dirty yards at Penn State that can often go unappreciated in the throes of a game. Washington needs that kind of weapon now that Rodriguez has moved on, and they believe Allen, who is also Penn State's all-time leading rusher, can help them keep drives alive with his patience and ability to plow through defenders for extra yardage. However, Allen is hardly a lock to make the roster thanks to his status as a sixth-round pick, so Allen will have to show he can maintain that physical style at the professional level. If he's successful at that, there's going to be a role for him for the foreseeable future.

• Can White add an extra dimension in the passing game? Ekeler and White are not the same type of player, but it was clear that the Commanders missed what the former added in the passing game out of the backfield last year. In that regard, White could be a younger version of that in Blough's offense. He averages 7.1 yards per catch with a catch rate of 89.1%. He took on a lesser role last season since Bucky Irving was the lead back in the Buccaneers' backfield, but he could get back to the success he had in 2023, when he had 1,539 scrimmage yards with nine total touchdowns.